Nursing back support and tummy control compression cami

ABSTRACT

A garment including a back panel, a belly panel, a bodice portion, and gussets. The back panel and belly panel are made of compression fabric and the bodice portion and gussets are made of stretchable fabric. The bodice portion is configured to be partially removable to expose an underlying inner nursing layer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional ApplicationNo. 62/660,525 filed on Apr. 20, 2018. The subject matter of theaforementioned prior application is hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to supportive clothing designed to be wornduring or after the birth of a child.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pregnancy and stages during postpartum require clothing that isspecialized for the changing body of a woman. Specifically, it isimportant to have clothing which is comfortable throughout the variousstages of a changing body while maintaining the aesthetics and qualityof the product. In particular, it is important to provide adequatesupport for a woman's tummy while pregnant and after birth and before awoman's body goes back to its pre-pregnancy shape as well as properclothing to accommodate a changing bust size. The present inventionprovides a solution to this need.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed to a garment which includes a backpanel, a belly panel, gussets, and a bodice portion. The back panel andthe belly panel are composed of compression fabric made of one or moreof: nylon, spandex, polyester, cotton, rayon, and/or wool. The gussetsare positioned at side portions of the garment and are composed ofstretchable fabric which is made from one or more of: nylon, spandex,polyester, cotton, rayon, and/or wool.

The garment also includes an inner nursing layer. The bodice isconfigured to cover the inner nursing layer at a first position and toexpose the inner nursing layer at a second position. The inner nursinglayer has two openings configured to accommodate protruding breasts ofthe wearer. The garment also has elastic secured to the inner nursinglayer. The belly panel extends from an upper seam to a lower seam, whichare made with flatlock stitching composed of polyester and nylonthreads.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a first embodiment of a garment accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the first embodiment of the garment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the first embodiment of the garment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 shows a front interior view of the first embodiment of thegarment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a back interior view of the first embodiment of the garmentof the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a front view of a second embodiment of a garment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 shows a front view of the first embodiment of the garment of thepresent invention with a partially exposed inner nursing layer 15.

FIG. 8 shows a partial enlarged front view of a top portion of thegarment according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows a partial enlarged front view of a bottom portion of thegarment according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows a partial enlarged side view of a top portion of thegarment according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows a partial enlarged side view of a bottom portion of thegarment according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description ofsome, but not all, of the configurations of the subject technology andis not intended to represent an exhaustive list. The detaileddescription includes specific details for the purpose of providing athorough understanding of the present invention and subject technology.The subject invention and technology is not limited to the specificdetails set forth herein and may be practiced without these specificdetails. In other instances, well-known structures and techniques havenot been shown or described in detail so as not to obscure thedisclosure.

The present invention is directed to a garment that can be worn by awoman who is pregnant or who has given birth and the woman's body ischanging back to a pre-pregnancy shape. The present invention has anumber of advantages including comfort, support, and the ability tobreast feed without having to change clothes.

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a first embodiment of a garment 1 accordingto the present invention. The garment 1 has a supportive constructionsince it includes bodice portion 9 which can be double layered (as wellas single layered) with the double layered structure providingadditional support. Bodice portion 9 is composed of stretchable fabric.Garment 1 includes a belly panel 5 which is configured to providesupport to the wearer of the garment 1. The belly panel 5 is composed ofcompression material or fabric, and may be designed to cover an entirebelly region of the wearer of the garment 1. The belly panel can extendfrom the lower abdomen and over the wearer's abdomen while worn. Thegarment 1 includes upper gussets 7 which can be triangular in shape. Theupper gussets 7 are designed to accommodate growth of the wearer's bustwhile maintaining the shape of the front panel 5 and providing support.Flatlock stitching is used to form the upper seam 11 and lower seam 13which connect the belly panel to the bodice portion 9 and to the lowerfront panel 33, respectively. The flatlock stitching can includesynthetic materials such as polyester and/or nylon threads to reducechafing since threads of these materials can be made soft. Thisstructure of the seams 11 and 13 allows them to contour to a changingabdomen of the wearer while maintaining elasticity and quality of thestitch.

A bottom part of the bodice portion 9 is connected with the belly panel5 via the upper seam 11. An upper portion of the bodice portion 9 ispartially separated from the garment 1 such that the bodice portion 9can be folded down to expose the inner nursing layer 15 (See FIG. 7).The bodice portion 9 is connected with the garment though fasteners 17located at the neckline seam 19. The fasteners can be hooks. Theneckline style of the garment 1 is defined by the neckline seam 19.

The garment 1 also includes a lower front panel 33 which is designed toaccommodate the wearer's expanding belly region. This lower front panel33 is composed of compression material consisting of any variation orcombination of the following materials: nylon (such as Supplex brandednylon or other types of nylon), spandex (such as Lycra branded spandexor materials containing polyurethane or polyether-polyurea copolymers),polyester (such as Coolmax branded polyester), cotton, rayon, and/orwool. Adjacent to the lower front panel 33 are lower gussets 35 whichare configured to accommodate the wearer's protruding belly region. Thisis because the lower gussets 35 can be made by a secondary fabric whichhas a higher degree of stretch in a lighter weight than the fabric ofthe lower front panel 33. The lower gussets 35 are composed ofstretchable material consisting of any variation or combination of thefollowing materials: nylon (such as Supplex branded nylon or other typesof nylon), spandex (such as Lycra branded spandex or polyester spandexor rayon spandex or materials containing polyurethane orpolyether-polyurea copolymers), polyester (such as Coolmax brandedpolyester), cotton, rayon, and/or wool. Yarn in combination with type ofknit used in construction and quality is one difference between thematerial for lower front panel 33 and lower gussets 35. In other words,the materials for lower front panel 33 and lower gussets 35 may bedifferent in terms of how fibers are spun into yarn and how the knit isused to create the fabric, even if the fibers are made of the samematerial. It is possible to use different fibers too. The compressionmaterial has some elasticity and the stretchy material has moreelasticity than the compression material. All of the gussets 7,35 can bemade of the stretchy material. The bodice portion 9 can be made of thestretchy material. The remainder of the garment can be made of thecompression material.

FIG. 2 shows a rear view of the first embodiment of the garment 1 of thepresent invention. The garment 1 includes a back panel 3. The back panel3 can be composed of a single panel or multiple panels and can have onelayer, two layers, or more than two layers. For extra support, twolayers or more can be utilized. The back panel 3 is composed ofcompression material which can be fabric knitted with elastic,stretchable strands configured to help maintain back support andalignment for the wearer of the garment 1. The compression materialhelps to gently squeeze the body. The pressure of the compressionmaterial should not be too high since this can make the skin red. Theupper gussets 7 and lower gussets 35 help provide support and to controlthe pressure so that it is not too high. The fabric of the upper gussets7 and lower gussets 35 is stretchy and can be made of polyester spandexor rayon spandex. The compression fabric, such as the fabric of backpanel 3, is the same as compression fabric in other parts of garment 1.The stretchy fabric such as the fabric used to make the upper gussets 7and lower gussets 35 is the same as other stretchy fabrics used in otherparts such as bodice portion 9 (see FIG. 1) and inner nursing layer 15(see FIG. 4). With respect to the compression fabric, the fibers incombination with fabric knit allow the yarns to expand with resistancewhen the garment is worn. This puts gentle pressure on the wearer atspecific portions of the human body. The pressure is designed to givethe body muscle cues to help generate better posture and circulationwhile the garment is worn. The gussets 7 can be located at a side hem ofa bodice portion 9 of the garment 1.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the first embodiment of the garment of thepresent invention and includes a side seam 27 which can be made withflatlock stitching. It also shows one upper gusset 7 and one lowergusset 35.

FIG. 4 shows a front interior view of the first embodiment of thegarment 1 of the present invention. This is the view from inside thegarment 1 towards the front of the garment 1. Bodice portion 9 (seeFIG. 1) is an outer layer of the garment 1 and an inner nursing layer 15is on the other side of bodice portion 9. The inner nursing layer 15 isdesigned to be elastically expandable and contractible. For example, theinner nursing layer 15 can be made of knitted fabric containing elastic,stretchable strands made of nylon (such as Supplex branded nylon orother types of nylon), spandex (such as Lycra branded spandex orpolyester spandex or rayon spandex or materials containing polyurethaneor polyether-polyurea copolymers), polyester (such as Coolmax brandedpolyester), cotton, and/or rayon. The upper seam 11 can be located at anempire waistline. A bottom part of the bodice portion 9 is connectedwith the belly panel 5 via the upper seam 11 (see FIG. 1). An upperportion of the bodice portion 9 is connected with the garment 1 suchthat the bodice portion 9 can be repositioned to expose the innernursing layer 15 (see FIG. 7). The inner nursing layer 15 can be made ofinterior stretch knit and has two bust openings 21. The bottom portionof the inner nursing layer 15 is secured to an elastic 23 locatedadjacent to the upper seam 11. The elastic 23 can extend along the upperseam 11. The elastic 23 is thick and is configured to hold the innernursing layer 15 close to the body of the wearer and to help maintainbust support for the wearer.

The top portion of the inner nursing layer 15 is secured to the necklineseam 19. The bust openings 21 can be oval-shaped. The bust openings 21can have surged edges 25. The surged edges 25 can comprise polyesterand/or nylon to ensure elasticity and to maintain the shape of the bustopenings 21 while accommodating a changing bust size of the wearerduring pregnancy or after pregnancy. The bust openings 21 can also beused for breastfeeding without having to change clothes or remove ashirt or otherwise since they are designed to expose the breasts of thewearer.

FIG. 5 shows a back interior view of the first embodiment of the garmentof the present invention. This is the view from inside the garment 1towards the back of the garment 1. It also shows the lower interior seam29 which can be made with flatlock stitching.

FIG. 6 shows a front view of a second embodiment of a garment of thepresent invention. This embodiment is the same as the first embodimentexcept that it has a different neckline seam 31 and therefore has adifferent neckline style. The present invention is intended to covergarments with a variety of neckline styles and not just the ones shownin the Figures.

FIG. 7 shows a front view of the first embodiment of the garment 1 ofthe present invention with a partially exposed inner nursing layer 15.FIG. 7 shows the bodice portion 9 partially folded to partially exposethe inner nursing layer 15 to partially show the bust openings 21. Thebodice portion 9 can be fully extended downward to fully expose the bustopenings 21.

FIG. 8 shows a partial enlarged front view of a top portion of thegarment 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. AtFIG. 8, the fasteners 17 can be seen. At FIG. 8, the fasteners 17 formhooks and the bodice portion 9 includes loops 20 that are operablyconnected with the hooks.

FIG. 9 shows a partial enlarged front view of a bottom portion of thegarment according to the first embodiment of the present invention.Here, the lower seam 13 can be seen more clearly.

FIG. 10 shows a partial enlarged side view of a top portion of thegarment 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Agusset 7 is more clearly seen in this FIG. 10.

FIG. 11 shows a partial enlarged side view of a bottom portion of thegarment 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.The numerals used in the Figures identify the same portions if the samenumeral is used. For example, numeral 5 in FIGS. 1 and 11 is the bellypanel 5.

Headings and subheadings, if any, are used for convenience only and donot limit the invention.

Any aspect set forth in any embodiment or example may be used with anyother embodiment or example set forth herein.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the disclosed productswithout departing from the scope of the disclosure. Other examples ofthe disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art fromconsideration of the specification and practice of the disclosuredisclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples beconsidered as exemplary only and that the present invention is notlimited to the details shown.

All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the variousaspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or latercome to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expresslyincorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed bythe claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to bededicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure isexplicitly recited in the claims. Furthermore, to the extent that theterm “include,” “have,” or the like is used in the description or theclaims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to theterm “comprise” as “comprise” is interpreted when employed as atransitional word in a claim.

1. A garment comprising: a back panel; a belly panel; and a bodiceportion.
 2. The garment according to claim 1, wherein the back panel andthe belly panel are composed of compression fabric.
 3. The garmentaccording to claim 2, wherein the compression fabric comprises at leastone material selected from the group consisting of: nylon, spandex,polyester, cotton, rayon, and wool.
 4. The garment according to claim 1,further comprising gussets at side portions of the garment.
 5. Thegarment according to claim 4, wherein the gussets and bodice portion arecomposed of stretchable fabric.
 6. The garment according to claim 5,wherein the stretchable fabric comprises at least one material selectedfrom the group consisting of: nylon, spandex, polyester, cotton, rayon,and wool.
 7. The garment according to claim 1, further comprising aninner nursing layer.
 8. The garment according to claim 7, wherein thebodice is configured to cover the inner nursing layer at a firstposition and the bodice is configured to expose the inner nursing layerat a second position.
 9. The garment according to claim 7, wherein theinner nursing layer comprises two openings configured to accommodateprotruding breasts of the wearer.
 10. The garment according to claim 7,further comprising an elastic secured to the inner nursing layer. 11.The garment according to claim 1, wherein the belly panel extends froman upper seam to a lower seam, and wherein the upper and lower seams aremade with flatlock stitching.
 12. The garment according to claim 11,wherein the flatlock stitching comprises polyester and nylon threads.